The Swing
by Hungry Luma
Summary: My swing was being used by some strange boy. This is unacceptable...fine let's share, but don't bug me when I'm reading.A girl finds out that a boy has been using the swing she reads on for brooding. OC
1. Chapter 1

I went there one evening, unlike my usual routine as I usually go in the early morning, to read. I always wake up early to read the books I take out from the library or the ones I buy from the store down the block. And this was my favorite place to read.

It was an old swing hanging from the oak tree in front of the ninja academy. I had found it about three years ago, when I had first started to learn of my love of books. It faced the academy on one side but a little ways off of it was the library and just a block in the other direction was the book store I was incredibly fond of.

The swing was my favorite reading spot for many reasons. The main one being that whenever I would land on a part of the book that made me feel giddy, which happened quite often, I could swing and let the wind in my face calm me. I also loved how if I brought a pillow with me I could shift around on it to whatever position I wanted. If I got tired of the swing the ground around it was grassy and the tree holding it up had wonderful shade.

The reason I was coming in the evening and not the morning as I usually would is because of the new book that had finally arrived, just that day. I couldn't wait to read it as I had ordered it a month ago at the book store. It was the only book of this genre, written by an author who was so famous my parents (who weren't great readers themselves) dropped their jaws in shock when I mentioned his name.

I had heard about the book and its glorious adventure of a plot, from the owner of the book store I frequent, just two months ago, and immediately, I wanted to read it. My parents had forbad me from even mentioning it to them however, after they had heard who wrote it. It took me three weeks just to convince them to let me go to that book store again, with supervision only.

When I arrived with my mother the next day I asked the clerk to convince my mother to let me read it. We told her all about the book and how it was written before the author started his other series. All in all it took a month to convince both my mother and father, to let me buy the book. As soon as I got their permission I ran to the store with all my allowance in hand and pre paid and ordered the book, so that it could be shipped strait to my house.

* * *

When I had arrived at my spot though, there was a new addition to my haven. A young boy who looked to be my age was on my swing, looking towards the academy. If I had cared at all to learn who he was I would have been scared, and if I told my parents of my encounter they might have even banned my from going near the tree again. I did not however care who he was and so I never encountered that problem.

I did however care that he was on my swing.

"hey, you!" I exclaimed, walking up to him. He didn't turn around or even glance at me. Was he deaf? I stopped walking and I was starting to feel guilty as I contemplated him being deaf. Making up my mind I decided that I could share the swing if we took turns on it. I walked in front of his view instead of grabbing his shoulder so as to not startle him.

Looking strait into his eyes I said "That's my swing but you can stay on it, if you give me a turn once in a while." He looked at me weirdly and then with a voice a bit unsure said "this is my swing."

Without losing confidence I said with half lidded eyes and a determined expression. "It's my swing and if you won't except my offer of sharing it than, Get Off." Ending my sentence with a quiet sternness I had seen my mother does when upset.

His reaction was to glare at me with the most evil look that I almost backed off, but this was my favorite spot I wasn't backing off no matter how lenient I am with other things. "lets make a deal then! I get it in the morning and you can have it in the evening. Noon is fair game." I stated, holding out my hand.

My reaction to his must have been as unexpected as his was to my previous statement, because his unsure look returned and was mixed with hints of surprise and suspicion. I noticed his unease and for the benefit of my precious swing I gave him one of my rare smiles that I reserve for my books.

My smile seemed to have done the trick as he shook my hand, sealing the deal, but I could still sense his unease. Putting him to the back of my mind I sat down on the grass, put my pillow against the large oak that held the swing's trunk and laid against it.

Letting out a sigh of content at my comfort, I opened up my new book and started to read.

* * *

I noticed that it was getting dark out and as my reading light was getting compromised I decided that I would leave the rest for the morning as my book was at a satisfactory part. Not good enough to entrap me into continuing it , and not dull enough to stop me from picking it up again.

I placed my thumb as a bookmark as I searched through my bag for a bookmark. Struggling to find one I was getting more worried that I would lose my spot. My worries must have shown in my face because the next thing I know a ramen receipt is being shoved under my nose.

I looked up at the hand that held it, and I slowly traveled up to see the face of the one holding it. The receipt belonged to the boy I now shared a swing with.

I looked at him for the first time, with a real long searching look. He had a mess of yellow spiky hair on his head, clear determined blue eyes, and a hesitant smile. "Use this." He said in a strong voice, unlike before.

"thanks." I think my opinion of him has changed. Maybe I can work with this relationship.

* * *

'_I think I'll come here tomorrow in the evening too. Reading is all good but having company when you read is pretty nice too…doesn't mean I won't come in the morning though, the deal states that, that is my only swing time.' _I thought as I walked home, already planning out tomorrow.

I even forgot about why i decided to share my swing in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had not yet risen and I was running towards my swing with an intense expression of seriousness on my face. I had gotten little, to no sleep last night, as I had been tortured with restlessness I had never felt before. Even on my first day of school I hadn't felt an unease of this extent.

'_What if he comes early in the morning just to spite me? What if he takes my swing in the mornings too? Where will I read then!?'_ I thought frantically as I ran as fast as my short legs could handle.

You might think that I was unjustly accusing the boy I had met the night before of fraud and deceit, but you can never be too sure of someone's character and as I said before I had just met him, and therefore do not know of his character. This displeasure of being deceived had happened to me before, ever since then I have made it a despised characteristic of mine to worry over a repeat of any similar offenses to my person. Just remembering the action of that girl gives me indignation.

* * *

It was during the recess, just a month into my first year of school. Most kids by this time have found the playmates they like the best, but not me. I was never any good at finding friends. I always had trouble approaching people with the intent to stay friends for any longer than the length of a day, as I considered that to be the ultimate, commitment under marriage of course, but that may be attributed to my extensive reading.

A simple girl, with a face I had forgotten, approached me and asked to if I wanted to play with her. I said yes, immediately as I had forgotten my current book at home (a grave mistake which I have tried my best never to repeat.) and was getting board of doing nothing by myself.

We played a game of tag and hide and seek, and after the next class of us sitting together and sometimes chatting, I had valued her as a friendly acquaintance (not a friend just yet, as that would take a little more time.).

The next day was quite the same, as was the day after that, but in that fourth day of our unfortunate acquaintanceship, was when the start had occurred. It was a normal day we played tag before school started and she had forgotten her pen, and in a generous spirit I gave her my favorite one while I used a pencil.

During recess we played hop scotch. It was a fun game the first round, but a couple girls from another class had interrupted it. they had wanted to play the game using our chalk game which we made, without us, however I was not so compliant. While trying to get us to leave they ended up pushing me to the ground, and as I got up with a scraped knee and palm I noticed that they were nicer to my acquaintance.

She was a daughter of a middle class, yet influential merchant as I had found out later on. When I had been pushed down, she had later been invited to play hopscotch with them, when they finally took over the game.

After recess was over and her new friends were called in, I later approached her again. She had however decided that I was 'uncool', and that she wished to call off our 'friendship'. I readily said yes, just as I had accepted her offer to play, because I had never considered her a friend from the start, and we parted.

The next day however was the end of any regard I had towards her and her status had promptly been changed from the friendly acquaintance of yesterday morning, to the mere classmate of that evening, and on to a highly disliked being.

She had left that day for grass country with her family on business, which wasn't the problem.

The problem was that she still had and most likely still is in possession of my favorite pen.

It even had little dangling beads on the clicker! And I was and still am resentful that I had been an ill judge of her character.

* * *

As now I run towards my swing, in distress that I might lose another item I hold dear, I think of whether he can be trusted.

I passed Ichiraku's.

I passed the park.

I passed the book store.

I had arrived there just as the tips of the sun's rays had come out.

I was however, struck… with the sight of him…on my swing.

I stopped, coming to a slow halt as I had been running at top spead.

'_What is he doing on my swing?'_ I thought in distress, as I took a shaky step in his direction. 'He doesn't want to share…he's going to take it. I will have to sit in the park with all the noisy people…' I thought, my mind falling into a pit of despair with the next step I took.

My thoughts became darker and darker (or about as dark as a seven year olds mind can go) the closer I got to him and my swing.

Finally I was close enough for him to notice my approach and turn around. As soon as he recognized me, a giant smile, that I wouldn't have thought big enough to fit his face, formed, and he jumped off the swing. He started to approach me at a run, and in my fear of crashing into him stopped walking altogether.

"I was waiting for you! You said you come in the morning right?!" he exclaimed in his excitement. "Yes I like to read before school starts, I like reading in the quiet of the morning."I stated in a calm voice, forgetting all my fears in exchange for surprise at his gallantry.

"You left before I could introduce myself!" he declared with a strong voice, not unlike the voice he had used the night before to give me my current Bookmark. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna be the Hokage one day!" he practically shouted at me.

'Why is he shouting? It's early in the morning and he's going to disturb everyone…' I thought before I replied. "My name's Rei. It's nice to meet you, and although I esteem those with great ambitions, I can't much attribute to this conversation as I am as of yet undecided in my aspirations." I expressed in my usual calm tone, in a somewhat quiet voice as it was morning.

His smile stayed on his face for the whole length of my response, but his eyes gained a somewhat glazed look after the word ambition. I sighed as I realized he only understood my introduction. This is the price I must pay for reading Jane Austen's novels just yesterday morning before I had received my recently arrived book.

"I meant to say that respect people who have big dreams but I don't know what I want to be when I grow up yet." I said in a bland tone, somewhat annoyed at having to repeat myself.

"Oh" he blinked, his glazed look vanishing from his face. "Why didn't you just say that?" he said with a confused voice.

"I did…" I trailed off, but then regained myself saying in a hesitant voice "why were you on my swing?" his smile left his face at that, which almost made me regret asking him, but I needed to know his disposition and character. Was I of the right frame of mind, or am I really an ill judge of character. "o-oh I thought I would wait for you on it …sorry. You told me not to sit on it in the morning…" he seemed to lose himself in the sentence, becoming more reserved and hesitant the more his sentence faded away.

"I never said that." I firmly said, trying to get him out of his depressed state. "I said I could have it in the morning, and you could have it at night, with noon being fair game. That means that if I get here in the morning I can hog it all I want, but if you get here first I suppose I can't blame you for going on the swing until I get here."

He smiled at that and then ran back to the tree and sat on MY swing, going back and forth. "Well hurry up and get here then!" he shouted at me, as I had stayed in my place in a daze not expecting him to run to the swing.

With a smile lighting up my face, I ran to join him. As well as to push him off MY swing.

* * *

I did end up pushing naruto of My swing this morning by the way. Naruto had ended up taking the pillow I had planned to use, and that I always bring with me when going out to read, and he was dozing against the tree. I was in my spot on My swing, reading as always. We had a reversal of positions for the whole of two hours, before I needed to head to school (the academy kids where mostly already here.).

I had of course woke him up before I left. I wanted my pillow back.

We said our good byes and then met up again after school.

It was now evening again and Naruto was on the swing this time swaying back and forth with a smile on his face in content. I on the other hand was back against the tree like last night , finishing up the book I got yesterday. I had drawn out the time reading it as long as I could but now it was finally finishing.

I closed my book with a sigh and a loud snap. I was content with the ending, although I suppose it was a bit over the top and it could have had a more closed ending. I don't like it much when authors leave the end to your imagination. With that argument I suppose I'm not so satisfied after all.

Naruto looked towards my direction at the sound of the book closing. "You finished the book?" he asked after he struggled to stop the swing. "Yah" I said while releasing another sigh. I got up and brushed off the grass from my skirt, getting ready to leave as I had no other book to read.

It had only been a half-hour since I had arrived, but I started the book last night and it wasn't that long, so it wasn't that surprising that I had finished so early.

As I gathered my things, I noticed Naruto's face. He looked worried and apprehensive, but he didn't speak until I had finished. "you leaving?"he asked his voice showing none of the emotions on his face.

I halted at his question. I looked at his face and thought 'even if I only consider him an acquaintance, I don't think I can leave him here alone…' his puppy dog eyes was the straw that broke my back. "I was just getting hungry, so I thought I would go have dinner. Would you like to join me?" I ended up asking, making dinner my excuse for packing up.

"YES!" he shouted while he jumped off the swing.

"Go get your stuff then. I'll wait here." After I said that he seemed to get a bit suspicious and hesitated.

"Really?...You won't run off?" he said after some deliberation.

"I'm not going anywhere. I don't even know what food I want to eat, this will give me time to think about it." I reassured him.

"WE SHOULD DEFIANTLY-"he started to shout but then cut himself off because of some stray thought. "Wait for me! Okay!" he shouted as he ran towards the ninja academy.

The train of thought I occupied as I waited for him went along the lines of 'I wonder where he wanted to go?' and 'why is he so loud?' with the occasional 'why does he insist on shouting all the time?'.

He ran out of the building two minutes later, having apparently ran the whole way to get his stuff and come back. At the sight of me, his face burst into a smile of pure joy, and he ran towards me at an even faster pace than before.

'was it that much a surprise that I waited?' I thought when I saw his face.

"so…where did you want to go?" I asked him when he reached me.

"ICHIRAKU'S" was his yell of happiness.

After dinner we parted ways, and then I had to think up a story to tell my parents for why I wasn't hungry…I suppose I could just tell them the truth.

I ate out.

* * *

The next few days continued in a similar manner with the exception of eating out, as I rather liked eating my mom's cooking.

I ended up getting into the habit of packing an extra lunch and skipping lunch at school, so I could have two meals for snacking with Naruto after school. In the morning we would share the snack I always brought instead of eating the breakfast my mom makes for me.

I still didn't really talk with him that much though, as I liked reading, and this was my reading time after all.

* * *

Even after those few days we still continued in this pattern. After a while of hanging out, I think my opinion of us slowly morphed into a relationship almost like friendship, but not quite there.

"Rei?" he said to me one day, interrupting me, although I continued reading.

Naruto seemed to hesitate, coming to a full stop in his swinging, without my notice, as my full attention was on my book. "are we…" he trailed off supposedly giving up the question. He suddenly started up again, trying to say something else, but all he could come up with was "why are you always reading?"

I looked up from my book to my swing, as his hesitance had allowed me time to finish the paragraph I was on.

"I don't really have an answer for that." I said in exasperation "That is like someone asking you why you like ramen…I just like reading, so I do it… a lot."

"do you read like this during recess too?" he asked, he was trying to gain information about my friends at the civilian school.

I hesitated for a moment before I finally gave in and said "…yes. I don't have anyone I consider a friend at that school." At this he smiled, which somewhat insulted me as it implied he was happy with my status of 'friendless'.

"why don't you come to my school than! We're friends right!" he exclaimed in joy with his eyes shut. _'was he unsure of my reaction?'_

His statement shocked me. He considered us friends. It touched me dearly to think that as, I remembered reading on my swing alone. I had, however, a very strong feeling about the word 'friend'. My time reading countless books of adventure and friendship, caused the word to warp into a word that symbolized love and protection, strong enough to die for.

I hesitated.

'_Did I consider Naruto someone I could die for?...'_

"I don't want to be a ninja though…" I said avoiding his declaration of friendship.

'_I don't know... I will have to mull that over tonight.'_

"What?! Why?!" he exclaimed, his eyes still shut. He seemed to be respecting my decision not to answer his silent request for friendship. "Being a ninja is awesome!"

"I just don't feel like giving my life and future to my country." I stated rather blandly.

Our conversation continued in this way for the rest of my time there. He would say being a ninja was awesome and give a silly reason for it, like they use 'cool' jutsu, and I would give the above statement, just as blandly as before and sometimes with more elaboration.

I didn't get much reading done that night, as I kept getting interrupted by the conversation.

* * *

That night before sleep took me I thought long and hard about our relationship.

Did I want him as a friend? His version of the word, most likely doesn't mean the same as mine. What if he's like _her_ and he doesn't _really _think were friends? Is he going to just dump me somewhere if he gets a new one? What if he finds a _guy_ to be friends with and doesn't want to be friends with a girl anymore? Is it really going to work out?...

My questions and debates went on and on, but as I went over all my arguments I started to realize that they were all mostly a mixture of self doubts and doubts as to his character.

After I realized that my head cleared. I could forget about self doubt because I needed to, Naruto's character was another matter.

Naruto was kind. I had learned that the moment he handed me the ramen receipt. Although it wasn't something he cared for, he saw my distress and helped me out.

Naruto was loyal. He kept his word, after we made our deal about the swing, and ever since that morning where we sealed all the arrangements, he has stuck to it (despite the fact that he loves the swing maybe more than I do, as he actually swings on it.)

There was no way Naruto would abandon me with those traits.

Naruto was my friend. I value it greatly and after I realized it, I felt terrible for hurting his feelings, by not confirming it. I got up quickly and started to get dressed out of my pajamas. I ran out the door while struggling to put on my shoes, and went all the way to the book store before I realized that… I didn't know where he lived.

I turned back in disappointment, and was about to return home dejected until I heard it.

It was a soft thump from behind me, which made me turn around.

I walked on. Reaching the swing, I saw it.

Naruto had gone back to the swing and had apparently fallen off of it. his upper body was on the grass with his feet propped up in the wooden panel of the swing.

I smiled suddenly and a burst of bubbling laughter filled my throat. I ran up to him, and laid down right next to him, after I saw him raise his head in confusion at hearing laughter. He laid back down to join me after some hesitance and we both stared up at the stars through the leaves.

"it's still night time. So I can have the swing." He said eventually

"I know." was the simple reply I gave.

"Then why did you come?" he asked curiously.

My answer to that question was just as simple.

"To comfort a friend."


	3. Chapter 3

Life had gotten much happier after I befriended Naruto. I had been lonely for the longest time before I had met him. After that night that I ran out of the house without telling my parents where I was going, not even coming back until midnight, I ended up being grounded for a week.

The grounding really just consisted of a curfew and book confiscation, they didn't think I would stay out late without a book to occupy my time. They thought I had no friends to keep me out. They were mistaken. I had a Naruto. A Naruto who liked attention, which I didn't mind giving to a friend.

Me not having books to read most likely was the reason we ended up getting along so well, and had so much fun during the first week of our friendship. That fun became very addicting even after I got my books back.

We had started a routine. The early morning was a time for fun. We would set up pranks for the kids who bugged Naruto, getting it all done before anyone arrived. We would separate for school and then join up again afterwards to eat my lunch and hang out, mostly talking and playing. I would then go home before it got dark as my parents had set a curfew.

After the groundation was finished my parents had kept the curfew, figuring I had a friend to keep me out now. I got my books back and I told Naruto that we could read together if he took care of the books I lent him. I don't think he was very happy that he was told to read, he must have been drunk on the fun we had all last week.

Even my oblivious self could tell he hated reading as when he tried to appease me by trying to read the thinnest book I had, he kept squinting at the words, groaning in frustration and just sighing from it all. I had never thought that Good Night Moon could be hard for anyone to read until Naruto tried. It was a disaster. He didn't even say one word of complaint though. He must have still had a lingering fear that I would abandon him if he didn't read with me.

* * *

I sighed as I watched him struggle with the second page, a minute had passed and he had only gotten through the first one. There was maybe two sentences per page. I had brought that kids book simply because I was so excited to finally have all my books I brought as many as I could carry. Most of my books were big and heavy but I had a few lighter ones from when I first started out. Knowing that Naruto didn't read a lot I brought the smaller ones… all of them, and a big bulky one for me.

Getting tired from all Naruto's groaning I finally gave in to my annoyance, and stopped him.

'Naruto you don't read at all do you?' I asked rudely, staring at him with a deadpan. He looked up and covered his apprehensive look with a sheepish grin, and rubbing the hair on the back of his head.

I sighed again and gave him an endearing smile. 'How do you get by in your classes?' I asked somewhat curious. 'Do you even have textbooks in a ninja academy?'

'yes…we do…' he said hesitantly, trailing off. I think he was starting to regret trying to read in front of me. 'Are you getting bad grades!?' I asked in shock.

I shouldn't have been shocked of course. Naruto was a prankster, a class clown, a goof ball, and he just couldn't sit still. He liked fun and games, it shouldn't have surprised me that he didn't get good grades or study at all.

I don't like studying myself, but learning concepts came naturally to me. my parents didn't bug me about being an antisocial kid (which I wasn't it just seemed like it to them for the longest time), they didn't push me to go on a diet or exercise (as long as I didn't eat lots of junk food), they did care a lot about grades though. If I had ever gotten a bad grade, even from P.E. class they would punish me somehow, with the most severe punishment they could think of. I was therefore somewhat amazed that someone wouldn't try to work for their grades.

Concepts and learning came to me naturally, physical work didn't. I was last when we did laps. I was always picked last when we had teams, and I had hated it. for a full month I did extra laps on my own to get extra credit for my grades, until it helped me enough to catch up with the others. I practiced shooting the ball into the basket until I learned the trick of aiming for the square and not the net, and I worked my but off until I could face my parents with a decent enough grade.

Why did Naruto not do the same with class work?

Naruto was my friend though so I won't forsake him, or abandon him to his fate.

I took the book from his hands, meeting little resistance, and I could almost feel Naruto's relief as he started to get up from the ground that he was sitting on (it was the morning so it was my turn on our swing) getting ready to stretch out his legs.

I wasn't having any of that however. I sat next to where he was standing, giving up my spot on our swing in the process, pulling him down with me by his shoulder.

'no friend of mine will be illiterate. You don't have to read if you don't want to but I won't let you refuse to read because you can't.' I said to him in a firm, clear voice filled with determination.

He stared at me in surprise at my determination. I had gone along with all his whims ever since we had become friend and he had noticed. The only other time he had heard my determined voice was when I had told him to get off my swing that night oh so long ago.

'I know you won't pay attention if I read it, your too impatient and frigidly, so you read it and if you get into trouble sound it out. If you get a word wrong I'll correct you, but take this seriously. Ninjas need to know how to read well, for reports and mission assignments! This is very important for your future! Didn't you say you wanted to become Hokage, he does a lot of paperwork you know!' I ranted at him.

I don't think he really wanted to go along with me, he only played attention because of his shock, until I mentioned ninja and Hokage that is.

He settled down in his spot on the grass. We both leaned against the oak tree, sharing the pillow as he started to read the first page again.

Naruto sucked at reading. I'm not kidding here. He seemed faster when he was reading to himself. He must have been skipping words. The book was in kanji though so I couldn't blame him entirely. We ended up finishing the book in 15 minutes as it had like 10 pages in it.

I sighed after that. Naruto was a bit grumpy after we finished. He must have been resentful that I made him struggle through the book almost all on his own. I would always make him read a word if he couldn't like 20 times until he could pronounce it correctly and say it on his own. I think he learned a lot of kanji from this book as It repeats itself a lot.

'_Now to test that theory._' I thought before saying 'Naruto could you read the book on your own with no mistakes now?' he groaned in pain and I looked a bit bewildered. Yes it was hard but he needed to know how to read. 'it's for your Hokage campaign.' I sang looking at him with eyes filled with amusement.

He groaned again and I ended up bribing him with ramen to get him to read it again. He still made a few mistakes but it only took 3 miniutes for him to read it instead of 10, thanks to the words mostly repeating themselves (I still made him repeat the correct version of his mistakes a lot). I bought him ramen despite his mistakes because I was impressed with his speed, and I praised him a lot, even buying him an extra bowl of ramen.

I was mostly trying to get him to have good experiences to associate with reading instead of the stressful time we were having.

* * *

We separated for school after the ramen but I gave him another book to read during break. I knew that he would be embarrassed to ask the teacher for help on reading supposedly easy words so I gave him a small but respectable book (for a seven year old to be reading) and gave him a pocket kanji book I always bring with me for reading books like pride and prejudice (hey even I have to look up lots of words when it comes to Jane Austen). I told him to just sound out everything and if he didn't know the word most of them will be in the kanji book.

I was a little worried that he wouldn't bother reading it and just give up on it, but even if he did I would make him read it when he was with me. '_what if he gets tired of the girl who forces him to learn?'_ I was very apprehensive when I stumbled upon this thought that I started to frigate in class. I decided to set some time aside everyday to play with naruto.

We met up again after school like usual and as luck would have it naruto had had to read in class today. Not out loud as they didn't have that class on Monday and he was never chosen to read anyway but they had self study period and he had chosen to read his textbook. When I got there he couldn't stop talking about how shocked the teacher was when he didn't ask for help even once for a word. The teacher had gotten suspicious that he hadn't asked and went up to naruto during class to check that he was really studying, and found naruto with the pocket kanji book beside his actual text book reading with great difficulty, looking up almost every word.

He had even tried to read the book I had given him during recess, but he hadn't managed to get through the first paragraph before the hour long lunch break had ended. I was so proud and he was so happy that we ended up abandoning our swing early and going straight to Ichirakus.

When we both finished our bowl of ramen we went back to our empty swing and I helped him read through the first page like I did with Good Night Moon that morning. He felt so proud of himself that his determination to learn how to read had grown. I don't think he ever sighed again when it came too reading. The groaning never stopped though, apparently it was still as painful as ever.

* * *

Days passed, and so did weeks until we finally finished the short book I had given him to read. Every day he would get faster. He seemed to get very annoyed when it came to his speed.

'how can you read so fast?' he would ask me referring to my habit of reading through a book in a day.

I would tell him that I was fast because I liked the book and then he would whine saying that he would never get fast. I put a stop to that though. I told him that speed depended on practice and comprehension and that both of them came through time.

'if you read enough books you will be in constant practice and you will come across words you don't understand frequently. The more you look up the same word the easier it will be to memorize its meaning.' I said to him making him stop whining and giving him hope.

He would give me a report every Monday about his progress in reading class, he had asked the teacher to call on him more when he felt confident enough to read on his own with minimal mistakes which only occurred after we had passed the 6 month anniversary of our friendship. He was getting better every day, and he could now read the book I gave him on that first day all on his own with only looking up a few words here and there.

* * *

Our time like this was rather fun for me and it was also fun for him as we never stopped pulling pranks (more like I would help him get away secretly) and playing games.

I didn't have to watch as he read out loud any more. We would just read together sometimes when we took a break from playing, and he would occasionally ask me what a word meant. I never had to correct him really as he would just sound the word out slowly and ask for help if he needed it.

That book I had first given him had become his favorite. He would read it over and over again and I was even thinking about giving it to him as a birthday present, not a new copy either because he had learned how to read with that book.

It was the book that had bound us together. I had gotten it the day we met, he had given me a book mark for it. It was also the book with a character similar to him, They even shared a name.

Dokonjō Ninden it was called.

The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, by Jiraiya of the Sannin.

* * *

Yes the author of the ninja version of 50 shades of gray has a normal book that kids can enjoy.

my parents were shocked too.

That's why it took me so long to get them to let me buy it.


End file.
